Japanese commercial agency Dentsu has acquired the media rights in the country for the upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup (RWC).
These rights span linear broadcasting and streaming, with Dentsu aiming to distribute games to “a wide range of domestic viewers through various viewing methods such as television broadcasting and video distribution services.”
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This indicates that the right strategy in the country for 2027 may mirror the multi-channel distribution of RWC games from the 2023 edition.
Rights to the 2023 edition in Japan were acquired by four broadcasters: public service network NHK, commercial channel NTV, pay-TV offering J Sports, and streaming service DAZN.
For 2027, Dentsu says that it will aim to distribute around 20 game through linear TV, including all Japan matches, with all 52 tournament games also to be available through digital streaming.
This deal was struck with the support of the Japan Rugby Football Association.
Speaking on the announcement, World Rugby chief revenue officer Michel Pousseau said: “World Rugby is delighted to continue its strong partnership with Dentsu. Building on the achievements we have both built together, we will deliver the excitement and emotion of the 2027 Rugby World Cup to fans across Japan.”
Japan is within two hours of each of Australia’s time zones, making the 2027 World Cup an appealing prospect in terms of viewership, with games to take place in prime times for Japanese viewers.
In the pool stage, Japan will start with Samoa on October 3, before facing hotly tipped France on October 9, and then the US on October 15, giving the team a strong chance of reaching the knockout stages.
Japan missed out on the knockout stages in the 2023 edition after finishing third in the five-team pool, but with the expansion to 24 teams ahead of the 2027 edition, and the subsequent reduction of pool sizes from five to four, it has created greater chances for so-called ‘tier 2 nations’ (such as Japan) to go further into the tournament.
